Ukrainian An-32B aircraft proved to be in demand bombers in Iraq

 

 The An-32B of the Iraqi Air Force, which was adapted by Antonov to work as a bomber, proved to be more in demand than the F-16 during the operation against the Islamic State. with reference to UMP.

In particular, from June 2014 to December 2017, the An-32B cargo aircraft of the Iraqi Air Force made 990 combat sorties, which is almost twice as many as the 514 sorties of the Iraqi F-16.

These figures were pointed out by the American edition of The Drive during the discussion of the state of the Iraqi F-16 fleet.

According to an infographic published by the Iraqi Air Force showing how many combat missions and combat support missions were performed by each type of Iraqi aircraft, An-32B cargo aircraft struck more air strikes than Iraqi F-16s, advanced Aero L-159 light aircraft or light aircraft. ALCA strike fighters. Much more flights, more than 3,500, were made only by Su-25 attack aircraft.

The need to use Iraqi An-32B transport aircraft as a bomber arose because of the urgent need for combat aircraft after the Iraqi military was defeated by terrorists who flooded the country in 2014. At that time, the first Iraqi F-16 pilots with their aircraft were still training in Arizona (USA). The only combat aircraft available for immediate use were the Su-25, received from Russia and Iran, and the light attack aircraft AC-208 Combat Caravan.

Therefore, the Iraqi authorities decided to apply to the Antonov State Enterprise for the re-equipment of some aircraft to expand their combat capabilities, and to do so quickly. Since the An-32B is derived from the An-26, with an almost identical shape of the fuselage, the task was not particularly difficult. The Vietnamese An-26 is known to have been used to bomb during the Cambodian war in the 1980s.

A method of mounting four consoles, two on each side of the fuselage, capable of carrying 500-pound bombs, was developed at the Antonov State Enterprise. This configuration was worked out before the Afghan war. In addition, a special system was installed inside the main cargo bay, which allowed the crew to download up to four 500-pound bombs directly from the rear of the aircraft. The bomber used an NKPB-7 optical bomb sight in one of the aircraft's two side viewing windows. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Military transport aircraft An-32B of the Iraqi Air Force

In later pictures, you can see an Iraqi plane with a new one long pylon on both sides of the plane, which could hold several 500-pound bombs or larger ammunition. There is also a large installation for firing thermal traps, which is another important addition, given the report that ISIS was armed with portable surface-to-air missiles with infrared homing.
Military transport aircraft An-32B of the Iraqi Air Force

It is known that the first to convert their An-32 aircraft for use as a bomber with a cargo compartment, were the Indian Air Force. They first demonstrated the ability to strike during training in 2013.

It is not known where or how the Iraqis used the An-32, but many reports of their use came before Mosul was liberated from ISIS militants in 2016.